HIGHER Education and Research is a culture empowering societies in this world of digital automation. Pakistan was lucky in 2002 for having Higher Education Commission established after a series of national education documents, policies and UGC. The Commission changed the landscape of higher education and research in Pakistan under the dynamic leadership of Prof. Dr. Atta ur Rehman. I have always preferred institutions over personalities but here the name of Dr. Atta cannot be separated from higher education and research in Pakistan. For the very first time in Pakistan’s history, higher education and research was being promoted through diversity, networking, hotly pursued debates, exchange of ideas, borrowing of expertise, encouraging critical thinking and multidisciplinary approaches. People were sent abroad for higher education, research and trainings to revive the process of learning quite in the same way as it was in the ancient times along the Pacific, Mediterranean and Silk routes.
Pakistan is at the cross-roads in the political history, where higher education is the only way to salvation. It is unfortunate to mention that the Higher Education Commission Islamabad has recently stopped few a programs due to the shortage of funds which may slowdown the process of learning, innovation, research and commercialization etc. As an academician and educationist, I have been in close collaboration with UGC and then HEC from late 90’s till now. It was due to the bold initiatives taken by the Higher Education Commission which delivered quantitatively in terms of enrolments, training, quality enhancement, publication, foreign training, technological advancements, commercialization, business incubation and providing all facilitie to the researcher, administrator and academicians that were available in any developed country, despite all opposition by a few big guns in the field.
The higher education era (2002-2008) in Pakistan was the golden era of learning, collaboration, networking, innovation, commercialization, multidisciplinary approaches and even personal grooming. In the real sense, Pakistan was progressing towards the “Knowledge Based Economy”. The revision and improvements in curriculum by professionally expert bodies and representatives from various sectors of society, especially industry, was highly appreciated by the community. Sending thousands of faculty members for PhD, Post Doc and technical pieces of training not only increased the enrolment in the country’s higher educational institutions but also brought high-tech laboratories and centres of research into existence. The positive impact of all that was not only felt inland but was also documented internationally in terms of publications, patents, impact, citations and commercialization etc.
Being an academician for a life and the founding director of a public sector University here I may mention that lack of continuity, persistence, stability and long term planning has created a very bad impact on our institutional performance. Adhocism and non-professional attitude has damaged the whole structure of governance in the institutes of higher learning. Very few people talk about saying “No”, critical thinking, interactive classrooms, online learning, encouraging students to ask questions and creating an environment of independent learning that is more needed at this hour of urgency in our national history. I am still optimistic that institutes of higher learning in Pakistan have got the infrastructure and most of the required facilities and expertise to guide the nation in the right direction by inculcating constructive approach, tolerance, dialogue and collaboration in our behaviours. Along with the conventional education programs many of the Pakistani universities have got well established Distance Education Programs where education can be imparted informally according to the international standards. A lot can be done by changing our existing classroom environment and starting new programs; where students are introduced to all fields of learning including Arts, Science, Business, Linguistics, Ethics, Theology and Skills etc and segregated gradually into specialized groups in the senior classes. A lot of work is still to be done on the University-Industry linkages and product development. Our students should have strong contacts with the market and well connected to the society through outreach programs and internships.
The strength of resilience has made Pakistan a unique country on the map of the earth. It has been subjected to a range of new experiments in every field of governance and delivery but the country has survived each and every disaster. One of these kinds of new experiments are again in process under the 18th Amendment by establishing provincial Higher Education Department/Commission in each province, with the understanding that these provincial HEDs will now deal with Higher Education at provincial level. To my understanding the Higher Education Commission Islamabad is now left only with limited role and finances.
The provincial HEDs are faced with a number of problems like;
1. They are going through the establishing phase, where you need a clear vision in mind according to the needs of the society. This can only be fixed under the professional leadership of high caliber academicians with a vast experience.
2. HEDs in the provinces are pre-occupied with 100s of Intermediate, Degree and Post Graduate Colleges in each province. They are short of capacity to fulfill the recent responsibility of looking after the Universitie/ Institutes of Higher Learning.
3. HEDs in their present capacity can only facilitate the intermediate and undergraduate programs. The provinces will need to develop a proper infrastructure if they intend to guide and supervise the academics and research in universities.
This situation demands that Higher Education Commission Islamabad and HEDs of all the provinces should sit together and define their new roles in the light of 18th amendment.As presently, HEC is providing recurring grants, skill development, research promotion and commercialization, quality assurance and accreditation support etc. If the provincial HEDs/HECs are ok with that they should recognize the role of HEC- Islamabad. If not, then the HEDs must formulate its own consulting councils, quality enhancement cells, curriculum, counseling, financial, commercialization and management bodies to increase its capacity to the level where they can lead programs at university level.
Higher education & research system in Pakistan can only be brought back on track by stopping experiments and appointing seasoned professionals as program leaders having excellent track record in University academics, research, management, ideas generation, education planning, execution, networking and collaboration with multi-disciplinary approach.
—The writer is currently working on establishment of new public sector university as Project Director and have also worked in NCRCs, established Distance Education Program, ORIC, TISC and Institute of Environmental Science at public sector University with the help of HEC)
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views expressed are writer’s own.
